The pain… wasn't the first thing he felt.
But…
emptiness.
—
Nir slowly opened his eyes.
The ceiling above him… familiar.
His room.
But…
everything felt different.
—
The voice… was gone.
That dark whisper…
no longer there.
—
"…"
He sat up slowly.
Looked at his hands.
The same.
No change.
—
But inside him?
Calm… in a terrifying way.
—
"Is it over…?"
The question slipped out without thinking.
—
"Unfortunately… no."
—
He froze.
Quickly raised his head.
—
The teacher.
Standing by the window, looking outside.
—
"I wish it were just a dream."
He said it calmly.
Then turned to him.
—
"But what happened… is more real than you think."
—
Nir stayed silent.
Then said:
"…What entered my body?"
—
The teacher's expression shifted slightly.
Hesitation.
Even if just for a second.
—
"Something… that should have remained sealed."
—
"That's not an answer."
—
"…Because it's not something easily explained."
He stepped closer.
"What you touched yesterday… wasn't just a tool or leftover magic."
—
He paused.
Then said slowly:
"It was… a fragment of an entity."
—
Silence.
—
"An entity?"
—
"Something older than this world as we know it."
—
Nir didn't react.
But his eyes… narrowed.
—
"And that thing…" "Is now… inside me."
—
"Yes."
—
No fear.
No shock.
—
Just…
thought.
—
"Will it take control of me?"
—
A direct question.
—
The teacher looked at him for a long time.
Then said:
"…If you are weak? Yes."
—
Silence.
—
"And if I'm not?"
—
A faint smile.
Cold.
—
"Then the world is the one that should be worried."
—
—
At that same moment…
Somewhere deep inside the academy…
—
"The seal has broken."
—
A low voice.
Inside a dark room.
—
Several figures stood around a round table.
Their faces hidden.
—
"We knew that day would come."
—
"But not now."
—
"Nor… like this."
—
Silence.
—
"The boy…"
—
"Nir."
—
"Watch him."
—
"And if he loses control…"
—
The voice paused.
—
"…eliminate him."
—
—
Back—
—
Nir walked through the corridors.
But this time…
the eyes on him were different.
—
No one approached.
No one mocked.
—
Students stepped aside for him…
in silence.
—
"It's him…"
"Don't look at him…"
"I heard he destroyed Kain's magic…"
—
Nir ignored them.
—
But—
—
> "Weak…"
—
He stopped.
—
The voice.
It returned.
—
But…
not like before.
—
Calmer.
Deeper.
—
"Be quiet."
This time… he said it clearly.
—
A student passed by him…
bumped into him accidentally.
—
"Hey! Watch it—"
—
He stopped.
—
Because Nir…
was looking at him.
—
A gaze…
empty.
—
The student immediately stepped back.
"S-sorry…"
And ran.
—
> "Afraid…"
—
Nir's fist tightened.
—
"I'm not you."
—
> "But we… are one."
—
—
In the training yard…
—
Kain was there.
Standing.
But… different.
—
His aura was weaker.
His eyes held something that wasn't there before.
—
Fear.
—
When he saw Nir…
he froze.
—
Silence fell over the place.
—
Nir approached.
Slow steps.
—
He stood in front of him.
—
Seconds passed.
—
Kain… didn't move.
—
"…What do you want?"
His voice… wasn't as strong as before.
—
Nir looked at him.
—
Memories.
The fight.
The scream.
—
Then he said:
"…Nothing."
—
He turned.
—
And walked away.
—
But before he left—
—
> "We can end him…"
—
Nir stopped.
—
> "Now… easily."
—
Silence.
—
Then—
—
He kept walking.
—
"…Not now."
—
—
At the top of the academy tower…
—
Two eyes…
were watching.
—
Glowing gold.
—
"Interesting…"
—
A faint smile.
—
"Not just a vessel…"
—
"But…"
—
He paused.